What is Traditional African Shamanism?
Most Africans regularly see shaman healers (native doctors, called ‘dibia’ in his native language) because they represent help, hope and goodness and bring about positive outcomes.
It is more commonplace in Africa to use shamans for spiritual development
than it is in cultures such as the US and the western world. Traditional health practices such as seeking the help of medical doctors and mental health counselors for care are supplemented with shamanic healings in Africa.
Although spiritual healing is not yet a widely adopted health practice in the US, the western world has taken to other ancient forms of spiritual development and union with God such as the practice of Yoga. In this way, Yoga has successfully bridged the gap between eastern and western spiritual
belief systems.
In much the same way, Shamanism bridges the gap between western wellness practices and alternative medicine.
Years ago, traditional African shamanism used unsavory methods such as voodoo, charms, animal sacrifices, and amulets to achieve the same outcomes, which has justly attracted criticism and negative connotations attached to the word ‘shaman’. Contemporary shamanism that Jude and others practice however, no longer uses (or requires) these to achieve their outcomes due to the level of energy that is available to us now from mother Earth today compared to 60 years ago. Shamanism today uses spiritual energy for the individual’s highest good, and does not warrant this fear or criticism.
Modern definitions of ‘Shamanism’ refer to it as a religion or practice characterized by the belief in an unseen energetic and spiritual world, accessible and responsive only to a practitioner who is able to achieve an altered state of consciousness to channel these special energies and use them only for an individual’s highest good.
Healers vs. Shamans
Both healers and shamans serve the same purpose, with one exception: Shamans can leave their physical body and their soul can travel to help people continuously towards their journey of spiritual development and wellness. Shamans connect with different planes of existence, and universal energies, forces and guides within them and thus find the root cause of people’s illness or problems.
Shamans can also access higher intelligence sources to gain insight and information about your sickness, lessons and reasons for challenges presented in your life. They can for example, identify the root cause of a problem to heal the resulting ailment. For example, an entity attachment may result in negativity or feelings of anxiety. Shamans trace the origin or the entity, and determined for example, that someone has performed voodoo on you, and they are then able to remove the attachment and eliminate problem within the boundaries permitted by your karma.
Mystical signs of shamanism
Shamans are known to be humble, simple people, who are approachable and show unconditional love to all.
Shamans cannot force you to take any action to resolve your problem. They can only suggest certain approaches to you to aid in its resolution, but they cannot go beyond what karma permits to solve your problem.
A Shaman’s role is similar to a light being or angel in human form helping to resolve your problem. They possess the ability to astral travel great distances with their aetheric body, to help their clients and resolve unseen situations that are unknown to the physical senses of living.
Identifying a true shaman can be ‘known’ by being in their presence. Since they are a channel connecting into an energy higher than our human selves, we notice that we ‘feel better’ in their presence, either in a healing session or merely in a conversation. Often this feeling persists when you leave their presence, you will have noticed a ‘shift’ in the way you feel.
Black Magic and White Magic
Another connotation with shamanism is the idea of ‘magic’ that refers to engineering or influencing an outcome or experience by calling on supernatural forces not seen with the eye. This magic can be seen as good or bad, known as ‘white’ or ‘black’ magic.
Jude’s spiritual master, Dr. George King said that motive is the only difference between white and black magicians. Because shamans can influence the physical realm by accessing energies of universal forces, it is their intention that differentiates ‘white’ or ‘black’ magicians.
To understand this concept, it’s helpful to think of what can be done with a commonly used item, such as a pen for example. A pen can be used by an individual to write a beautiful ballad that serves uplift people…or conversely, it can be used to write a derogatory hateful message that brings people down. Another example is how a knife can be used to carve a beautiful sculpture of art…or can be used by a criminal to inflict serious harm.
In the same way, Spiritual energy is a supernatural force or a ‘tool’ used by a shaman during a healing session. Because the shaman has intent of performing only what is in the individuals highest good, it is a form of ‘white magic’. White magicians work according to people’s karma. They do not force anything to take place; rather they enhance and balance the energies so the outcome most beneficial to the individual can unfold.